U.S. Supreme Court,
Criminal
Mar. 18, 2013
Righteous outcome, constitutional hero
In prison, using a pencil Clarence Gideon drafted a petition challenging the judge's refusal to appoint him a lawyer - and ended up saving countless innocents from wrongful conviction.
Who is America's greatest constitutional hero? It's an academically insoluble question with Washington, Lincoln and Jefferson all ranking highly. Who is the most anonymous? Clarence Earl Gideon.
Henry David Thoreau famously wrote, "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them."
Clarence Gideon was a poster child for the first part of the line. He unimpressively quit school after the eighth grade and ran away to ride the rail...
For only $95 a month (the price of 2 article purchases)
Receive unlimited article access and full access to our archives,
Daily Appellate Report, award winning columns, and our
Verdicts and Settlements.
Or
$895, but save $100 when you subscribe today… Just $795 for the first year!
Or access this article for $45
(Purchase provides 7-day access to this article. Printing, posting or downloading is not allowed.)
Already a subscriber?
Sign In